The Essence of Balencia

I Desire The Infiräd

"But first... We shall be bonded forever" the king continued as he placed two needles on the table and a bowl in the middle.

"Let's combine our blood" he said taking one of the needles in his hand ready to poke himself. Lalzari turned around standing in front of him until she saw the rituals on the table... Boblas! She thought to herself. Completing this ritual would bind her to a Boblas and their works captivating her for eternity. It would be worse than selling her soul to them.

The king closed his eyes and pricked his finger. The blood dripped into the bowl like a terrifying death holding your soul in chains. "Keep your eyes closed until the ritual is done!" The king demanded.

"Yes master" Lalzari replied with eyes as wide open like a wound not healing. Lalzari took the needle and pricked herself watching the blood ooze out of her finger and run down her nail. Suddenly, the vixen's blue and green veins turned into a shimmering gold, rushing through her bloodstream and out the exposed wound she had created, all the way to the drop of blood until it completely evaporated it. With no time to question Lalzari quickly said,

"Done master" and the king opened his eyes. The king looked at her wound and blood on her finger assuming his ritual had been fulfilled. He swirled the bowl around before dipping his unusual enlarged tongue into the bowl, licking a bit of what was actually his own blood.

"Mmmm you taste sweet my jewel" he said with blood stuck and captured in his moustache. He passed the bowl to Lalzari and she does as requested whilst he stared at her intensely with an expression of extreme pleasure as she licks it.

"OoAhhh" he exclaimed almost rolling his eyes back a little. Lalzari tries to hold her composure and not gag from the bitter iron taste lingering in her mouth. Reeks just like him! She thought to herself.

Lalzari slammed the doors wide open drying her tongue in her sleeve as she scampered down the hall.

"OMID! OI OMID!" Mareeb repeated as he tried catching up with the angered vixen. His voice in the background making her blood boil even more to the point she wished he would be quiet so she could focus and think.

As she approached her room she slammed the door behind her but before she could hear the satisfying thud, Mareeb caught it, walked in and closed it behind him. "Oh, Omid!" The boy pleaded. The servant boy had become too comfortable within his position.

"WHAT?!" Lalzari shouted as she turned around exasperated. The boy looked up at her shocked by her sudden raise of voice, before he uttered the words.

"Omid... You're acting differently, not yourself?" Lalzari grabbed her head trying not to explode from anger.

"Differently?! Maybe because I've seen nothing but death since I got here! Maybe because I just licked the sick kings blood?! You DON'T understand Mareeb!" She bellowed with a sneer to hold back the tears forming.

"Help me understand Omid!" The pleading boy begged.

"I MISS MAMA! I MISS HUSAYRAH! I MISS JAMSHAR! I miss safety Mareeb!!!!" Lalzari said sobbing once again. Mareeb's facial expression changed to what almost looked like aggression.

"Omid it's always Jamshar this! Jamshar that! But he's dead, you need to move on! You're hurting yourself!" He boy stated as he watched his Omid step away from him as if she had seen a stranger intrude her home.

"MAREEB BE CAREFUL OF WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST SAID" she roared as the tears streamed down her tired face. Mareeb came closer and in his annoyingly calm voice said.

"Omid is never cold but you've been so cold lately. You compare everything to mama, Melaniee and Jamshar you need to let go" his calm voice was not helping Lalzari's emotions but instead made her more and more railed up. Spending time with Zunaid had really effected the vixens new love for shouting.

"THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO LOVED ME MAREEB!! THEY HELD ME WHEN I CRIED! CARED FOR ME WHEN I ACHED!" The worn-out femme fatale stopped to catch her breath, breathing heavily before she calmly continued

"I've been used. Abused. My identity stripped away. All I ever wanted Mareeb... Was companionship and now... I have to be something I'm too tired to be!"

Lalzari fell to the floor sobbing over and over again. The strong cold woman she was trying to be had disappeared and now the only one left was the unknown body. Before Mareeb could say more she stood up remembering her plea to be fierce and strong. She wiped away her tears and put out her palm signaling for Mareeb to not come close.

"I'm tired Mareeb. I can't afford to be distracted. I've been alone always and I need to be okay with that. Sleep on the bed tonight I'm going to be out anyways" she said coldly as she passed Mareeb to leave the room. I think tonight I need to be physically alone, to be alright again.

The howling of the trees as the sun set sounded like a wailing cry of the lost and forgotten. Lalzari sat on a small hill right outside the kingdom looking at the forest ahead of her. Finally alone and at peace. She closed her eyes wanting to drift away to some far away land where no eye could see. RUN! RUN! I WANT TO RUN!

Lalzari dove behind a wide cedar trunk just off the trail. Heart slamming against her ribs, she gulped at the air, trying to slow her breathing enough to hear. Back in the shadows, branches thrashed and snapped from the wildlife adventuring. Sunset had finally drained out of the sky overhead, sheathing the woods in shadow. Lalzari pressed her face against the bark, the ridges biting into her skin, and tried to become one with the tree.

"Heavy night ye?" A strong female voice asked. Lalzari turned around to see a tall woman covered from head to toe with a voice she could never forget.

"Malaa?"